Let's Go Have Some Fun
by River2027
Summary: While Sarah and Derek are doing recon in Ohio, John takes Cameron to King’s Island Amusement Park for the day. John/Cameron
1. A Connor Vacation

**Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles**

title: Let's Go Have Some Fun

author: River2027

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Terminator, just my DVD copy

setting: after "brothers of nablus"

genre: humor/romance

rating: T

warning: contains spoilers for "Allison from Palmdale", "goodbye to all that" and "brothers of nablus" but honestly, who hasn't seen them yet?

summary: While Sarah and Derek are doing recon in Ohio, John takes Cameron to King's Island Amusement Park for the day. John/Cameron

_Author's note: This was just a short two-chapter story I wrote a while ago. I figured I'd post it while I'm still working on my next big project. So…enjoy!_

**A Connor Vacation**

John Connor glanced around the little motel room, disgusted by the appearance. Not only was it a _motel _room, but it was halfway across the continental United States. "Ohio?" he complained for about the fifth time. "Why'd we have to come all the way to Ohio?"

His mother was busy cleaning and loading all the guns they had brought with them for the "vacation" as she had called it. John couldn't see how this was much of one.

"We're tracking down a name on the list," Sarah explained. "Doing reconnaissance."

The "list" was names written in blood on a wall of their basement. Maybe she really _was _searching for a name, but John knew the real reason they'd come so far from home. Home wasn't safe anymore. Not that anywhere was.

Their security had been compromised, thanks to his forgetful new friend Riley, and Sarah was still more than a little paranoid about the resulting break-in. John was actually glad to be far from home. He still hadn't told his mother that Cromartie had showed up at the front door searching for him. Sure, Riley had gone all 'spooky ninja' on him, and he wouldn't come back, but with a Terminator still in the area, John didn't want to take the chance of being spotted walking around town.

Derek loaded his gun as Sarah continued. "Derek and I will do some infiltrating…"

"Can I come?" John asked hopefully. Even though he was relieved to be far from LA County, he'd been expecting something a little more exciting than being stuck inside a dingy hotel room.

His mother shot down that idea quickly. "No. It's too dangerous."

John scowled, crossing his arms. _It's war. War is dangerous._ "But you said it was recon," he protested.

"Even reconnaissance missions can turn ugly," Sarah said rationally. "There could be a machine waiting for us."

Cameron stepped forward. "Does this mean you need me to come with you?"

Derek stiffened and glared at Cameron. "No, we don't. This is infiltration. You're too much of a klutz."

Cameron cocked her head as she usually did when confused or calculating. "Klutz?"

John rolled his eyes. "You don't know what a klutz is?"

"Klutz," Cameron repeated. "Uncoordinated. Clumsy. Awkward. Inept. Incompetent."

"Exactly," Derek muttered under his breath.

"I've been reading the dictionary," Cameron concluded.

Derek snorted in disgust. "Reading the dictionary?"

"I don't sleep," Cameron stated.

John ignored the exchange between his uncle and Cameron and looked back at his mother. "So you brought me along to sit in a hotel room, is that it? Then later tonight we have to drive home?"

"Yes," Sarah said. "If we accomplish our mission."

"It's a full day's ride," John said with a scowl. "The least you could have done was gotten us airplane tickets."

"No we couldn't have," Sarah countered, gesturing at Cameron. "She can't pass through a metal detector."

"I have a metal plate in my head," Cameron stated bluntly.

Derek scoffed in annoyance. "Your entire head is metal, tin can."

"…and we couldn't have smuggled the guns on," Sarah concluded.

Cameron's looked up. "We could have."

Sarah sighed, as if trying to be patient with their resident cyborg. "You can't annihilate the entire airport security staff."

"It wouldn't be difficult," Cameron replied emotionlessly. "Have you seen the security?"

Derek snickered and John hid a smile, though he knew she hadn't meant to be funny. Sarah simply shook her head and grabbed her flashlight.

John jumped up to block the door. They weren't getting away that easily. "Why can't we all go?" he insisted.

"Because," Sarah replied. "You can't go and someone needs to stay here and protect you. Who do you think is a better babysitter? Cameron or Derek?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek asked.

John didn't give an answer. Her question didn't warrant one.

"He does not have a choice," Cameron said reasonably. "I must remain with John at all times."

"Right," Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

"You told me to keep an eye on him," Cameron reminded her.

Sarah forced a smile. "Yes, I did."

John scowled at both of them. "What is she going to protect me from? No one will attack me in this hotel room!"

"John Connor, you're staying," Sarah said. "That's final."

*********

John lay on his hotel bed, arms crossed, still defiant. "I'm not a child anymore," he said aloud. "Why can't she see that?"

Across the room, Cameron stood guard at the door, looking intently out the peephole. "You _are _still a child," she pointed out. "Adulthood is reached at the age of eighteen. You're only sixteen."

John snorted. _Stating the obvious again._ "I didn't know that, really," he said sarcastically.

Cameron turned away from her door vigil. "Your mother is only trying to protect you."

He laughed humorlessly. "Protect me? How am I supposed to turn into the leader of mankind if I can't even do reconnaissance missions?"

Cameron cocked her head. "How are you supposed to turn into the leader of mankind if you die before Judgment Day?" she countered. She had a point, he realized reluctantly.

He sighed and sat up on his bed. "This is pointless sitting around in here. We might as well go do something."

"Sarah said…"

"How many times do I have to tell you, just because my mother said it doesn't make it so," John snapped. When will she get that through her coltan skull?

John stood up and grabbed his jacket. "Come on," he said. "Let's go have some fun."

Her eyes seemed to light up. "We're going to play foosball?"

John paused, confused. Foosball? What the heck was that about? "No," he said slowly. What kind of person associates "fun" with foosball?

He shook his head. "Something much better. We're going to King's Island."

***********

"I don't understand," Cameron repeated as John drove toward the amusement park. "This is unwise and shows poor judgment. An island is not a tactical location. Surrounded by water. No exits."

John sighed at her analysis. "It's not a real island."

"Then why do they call it one?"

John shrugged. "Uh…I don't really know. You can look it up later."

"Okay." She was silent for a moment before adding, "Then what is it?"

"It's an amusement park," John supplied. "Have you ever been to one?"

"No," came the reply. He nodded. _Stupid question. She's a machine, you moron._

Cameron remained silent as John walked up to the ticket booth and paid for both of their tickets.

"Let's go," he said with a smile.

When they entered, Cameron looked a little leery of all the crowds, but seemed to be fascinated by the roller coasters.

"It's freaking big," she stated.

John cocked an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, I guess it is."

They walked forward towards a statue in the middle of the park. "That's the guy who founded King's Island," John explained.

Cameron stared at it. "It's not a guy. It's a sculpture."

John blinked. "Uh, I meant this is a statue of him."

"Oh. Thank you for explaining."

Clockwork.

"So," John said, clapping his hands together. "Which do you want to go on first?"

Cameron looked around, locking in on a tall red one. "That one," she said. John quickly checked the location on the map.

"Face/Off," he read. "Good choice."

******

John and Cameron sat down across from another young couple. Cameron studied at them as they were strapped in and the coaster was pulled up the track. John noticed that she _continued _staring when they were released. By the time they arrived back into the station, Cameron still seemed to have the same expression on her face. The two people across from her looked a little anxious and got out of their seats quickly.

John stopped Cameron before they disembarked. "Were you staring at them the entire time?" he asked.

"Yes," Cameron said simply.

"Why?"

"I was making sure they were not a threat."

"How can do anything to me if they're strapped in?" John demanded. Cameron didn't answer and John let out a deep breath before he grabbed her arm and led her down the exit ramp. He spotted their two riding buddies talking to their parents.

They sneaked a glance over at Cameron and starting whispering and pointing. John quickly steered Cameron away.

"Look," he said. "You have to blend in more. Normal people actually have facial expressions. Especially when on roller coasters. They have fun."

"I was having fun," Cameron replied.

"Then show it," John insisted. "Show it like you did when you played foosball with that Jody girl. Be Allison again."

"I'm not Allison," Cameron stated emotionlessly. "That's what you said."

"Okay, so I phrased it wrong," John corrected. "Don't _be _Allison. Be _like _Allison. 'kay?"

Cameron nodded slowly, which only served to show John that she still did not completely understand. No, it was different than that, he realized. She _understood _him, she just didn't _comprehend. _

He shook his head.

Making excuses for a machine_. Boy am I stupid_…

******

"This is the Son of Beast," John said, gesturing to the huge coaster track looming before them. "It's the only wooden roller coaster with a loop. This should be fun."

"Hey!"

John turned to see a college-aged guy walk up to Cameron. He had a leather jacket, spiked hair, and an altogether "bad boy" look. John instantly didn't like him. "I hear this coaster's a little rough. You wanna ride with me?" the guy asked Cameron.

John scowled, but before he could answer, Cameron simply replied, in what sounded like a disgusted tone, "No."

The guy's eyes widened, and John deduced that he obviously wasn't used to being rejected. "Hey, come on, pretty girl…" he grabbed her wrist and Cameron turned her head to regard the young man's hand, probably contemplating the best way to remove it. John half-hoped she'd go for literal dismemberment.

Of course, she was probably remembering her promise not to kill anyone who wasn't trying to kill John.

John suddenly lost control of his movements and slammed his fist into the guy's jaw. The punk released Cameron and fell to the ground, holding his jaw and groaning in pain.

"You're lucky," John said, standing over him, fuming. "You're lucky _I_ was the one who hit you. She could have killed you. Really killed you. Or ripped your arm off. Without exerting herself."

The punk obviously didn't believe him, or was too enraged to care. He lurched to his feet and swung a fist forward. John tried to duck, expecting a blow, but Cameron caught the punk's hand in her death grip, causing the young man to cry out in pain. Then she flung him…_flung _him across the pathway to land in the flower bed. Several startled people gathered around the injured man, and looked around, trying to figure out where he had come from.

John quickly escorted Cameron away from the scene. "What was that?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"He was a threat."

"Yes, but you can't just…hurl people in the air!" he protested. "You'll get us kicked out! Or thrown in jail."

"I was trying to protect you," Cameron replied.

John's face softened. "Thanks, but next time just shove him in a trash can or something."

"I doubt there will be a next time," Cameron said pointedly. "He appears to have lost movement in his legs."

_Great. _"I know," John said patiently. "I meant if anyone else does."

"Oh," Cameron agreed. "Right."

******

"Racer," John explained as they reached the next ride. "They are launched from the platform at the same time, following an identical track."

Cameron watched the twin coasters curiously as they were launched from the platform. John smiled at the way she seemed to be concentrating on it.

"Which one do you think will win?" he asked.

"The red one," she concluded. "It was launched one point two seconds before the blue, and the blue coaster contains approximately twenty two pounds more weight. Unless the two tracks have slight variation, it will arrive back here first in…" she quickly scanned the track, deducing an estimated arrival time. "…approximately fifty two seconds…" She glanced over at him. "But that's just a guess."

John raised an eyebrow. "O-kay." _Just a guess, huh? _"So you would like the front?"

"Yes, the front," Cameron repeated. John shook his head, grinning as he led Cameron to the front cart. Before they could step on, a tall, well-built biker dude stepped in front of John.

"I get the front, punk," he said.

John shrugged. What was it with all the freaks today? "So get in line."

The biker scowled. "Listen you little…." He was cut off when Cameron suddenly grabbed him and shoved him headfirst into the nearby trashcan, its contents muffling his protests.

"What was that?" John hissed, quickly stepping into the roller coaster before anyone noticed the new addition to the garbage bin.

"You told me to throw anyone who bothers us in a trash can," Cameron replied as if it were obvious.

John found he couldn't complain.

"What is it with all the jerks here today?"

"We are here during a normal school day," Cameron observed. "It is likely that all of the 'good kids' are in class while all of the others – 'jerks' as you call them - are here."

John sighed. "High school dropout day at King's Island. Great."

*******

Next they came to the Vortex, the king of all looping roller coasters in the park. John felt his stomach knot up in anticipation at the sight of it. It looked incredibly fun.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Cameron asked, as he took her hand and pulled her into the line.

"Yeah," John replied. "It's a roller coaster. Just like all the others, it's tested for safety. Multiple times. No one has ever died on this ride."

"Not yet," Cameron said ominously. John felt a chill. Wouldn't that be a story? The first person to ever die on this roller coaster was supposed to be the future leader of mankind.

He tried to laugh it off. "Do you have to be so gloom and doom?"

Cameron cocked her head. "'Gloom and doom'?"

"Yeah, always pessimistic," John explained.

"There's a lot of 'gloom and doom' in 2027," Cameron stated.

John looked away. "Yeah, I bet." Enough of the future, he told himself. No more thinking about the future today. This was supposed to be fun.

He strapped himself in and looked over at Cameron. "Hang on."

The coaster shot forward and John felt a burst of excitement as they began the slow climb to the top of the hill. He looked down, spotting the parking lot. "You can probably see the jeep from here," he pointed out.

Cameron turned her head slightly to look. It was quiet for a moment before she agreed, "Yes, we're in the thirteenth row."

John shook his head, smiling. Leave it to Cameron to make things more complex. They finally reached the summit and shot down into three barrel rolls.

John felt a little dizzy as they went through yet another loop and he briefly wondered if Terminators could get motion sickness. When the ride finally came to a stop, he looked over at Cameron, a big grin on his face.

"How was that?" he asked, eyes twinkling with excitement. Cameron had her "confused" look on again when she met his gaze.

"I swallowed a bug."

_________________________________________________________________________

_Author's note: The next chapter has a little more John/Cameron action as the two ride some more coasters, get lunch, and enjoy a nice little moonlit moment at the top of the mini Eifle Tower. :)__ Of course, I won't be posting till after tomorrow's big welcome back episode! Yay! We've waited too long for this moment! _


	2. Watch How I Soar

_author's note: Glad you all liked the Serenity reference. :) There's one in this chapter too. _

_Hinotima24 - Yeah, actually this one is short, only two chapters. But I do have another John/Cameron comedy with them doing more "normal" things. That one's nine chapters and I'll post it next._

_CrimsonAcid - Yes, I meant to quote River. :) That _would _be a pretty weird coincidence._

_Pjazz - Thanks! And I agree: I do like some Future War stories, but I'm a big fan of the Connors dealing with real life, which is why I really your "Secret Diary" story showing Cameron in school. I miss the school scenes in the show. _

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter Two:**

**Watch How I Soar**

As they headed towards the next roller coaster, John passed by Chick'Fil'a and his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day.

Cameron paused by the mini poster that read "eat more chikin", head turned slightly as she examined it.

"This poster has an error," she stated. "'Chicken' is spelled incorrectly."

_How do I explain _this_? _"It's supposed to be spelled wrong," John began. "It's supposed to be written by cows."

"Cows can't write," Cameron said reasonably. "They do not have opposable thumbs or even fingers. It is impossible."

John sighed. "I know. It's just…you know how you said people like small animals? Well, they also like talking animals…and writing animals. We just like animals, remember?"

Cameron stared at him for a moment, then back to the poster. "It's no wonder Skynet tries to destroy you. At least computers don't believe animals are human."

John chuckled. "Hey, _I _don't believe animals can talk. Maybe that's why I become the leader. Now, do you want something to eat or not?"

"I don't need to eat," Cameron said.

"But do you _want _to?" John prodded. Cameron looked over at the menu and John spotted the prices, wincing. "How about I just get you an ice cream cone?"

Cameron agreed with that and John ordered himself a meal. He handed Cameron the ice cream cone and they sat down at a picnic table.

Cameron was eating the ice cream from the top and it was melting, dripping onto her fingers. "This food is problematic," she stated.

"You have to eat it before it melts," John said patiently. "Lick around the edge first."

Cameron did as she was told, though it resulted in somewhat of a mess. John rolled his eyes and reached out with his thumb to wipe off a big blob in the corner of her mouth. She allowed herself a smile and John felt the color rise in his cheeks.

_What is wrong with me? _He demanded of himself.

Cameron didn't notice his discomfort. She had glanced over across the pathway to the arcade. John followed her gaze.

"You wanna go check it out?" he asked. He checked his watch. They could hang out in there for a while before hitting another coaster, giving John's food time to settle. He really didn't feel like blowing chunks on the next ride, especially in front of Cameron.

When they entered the arcade, Cameron seemed drawn to the large row of skeeball machines lined up against the wall. John paused at the token machine and put in a few dollars, then followed Cameron over.

"What is Skeeball?" Cameron asked, reading the name on the machine.

"Here," John said, inserting a couple tokens. "I'll show you." Cameron watched with interest as the six balls rolled down into the bin. John grabbed one and rolled it up the ramp, watching as it landed in the 60 hole.

"The object is to get it into the 100 hole," he explained. He handed a ball to Cameron. "Just roll it hard."

Cameron drew back and hurled the ball into the field so hard that it hit the edge of the 100 hole, bounced up and smashed into the glass, shattering it. Everyone in the arcade turned toward the sound, and John quickly ushered Cameron out of the arcade.

"Why'd you do that?" he demanded.

"You said 'roll it hard'," she reminded him.

John rubbed his fingers to his temples. _It's like I'm babysitting a five year old…_

"Let's find the indoor roller coaster," Cameron suggested.

When they finally entered the line for Flight of Fear, John glanced around at the room. It had been made to look like some type of UFO, with eerie green lights and aliens hovering in test tubes.

When he and Cameron took their seats in the front of the coaster, the lights went off and John twitched in anticipation. A young kid sitting in the seat behind him started crying about how dark it was. Cameron touched John's arm to get his attention.

"It's not that dark," she pointed out.

John sighed. "Yeah, but no one else has night vision like you do."

"Oh." She leaned back against her seat. "Right."

The coaster suddenly blasted forward into a completely pitch black room. He heard the kid behind him screaming like his head had been chopped off.

When the ride came to a stop, John was beginning to wish he'd waited longer before riding after his meal. "I think I'm done with roller coasters for the day," he said to Cameron. "Maybe we can find something else."

They exited the coaster and stopped in the photo booth. John spotted their picture on the wall and laughed. He had his arms in the air, mouth wide open screaming, while Cameron sat beside him, hands comfortably placed on the lap bar, staring at him like he was a complete moron.

Cameron came up behind him and spotted the picture. He saw her confusion and realized she was perplexed by the "aliens" that had replaced the two riders in the seat behind them. "The humans behind us must have been liquid metal Terminators. No one else can morph in such a way." She gripped his arm, scanning the crowd for the two riders. "We're in danger. We have to go. Now."

John tried in vain to break her death grip. "Cameron, they aren't metal. The computer just replaces their picture with pictures of aliens."

Cameron stopped pulling and cocked her head in what seemed to resemble confusion. "Why?"

"Because," John said, shrugging. "It makes it more…dramatic. Keeps it with the theme. You know, Flight of Fear. The whole UFO display. The aliens in the room."

"Those weren't aliens," Cameron stated. "Those were plastic covered..."

John cut her off. "The point is…those weren't real aliens, and…" he gestured to the picture. "…these weren't real aliens."

Cameron stared at the picture again. "Thank you for explaining," she said. John smiled and looked at her expression in the photo once more.

He bought one.

********

Since John had decided he was done with roller coasters for the day, he and Cameron had decided on the Skyflyer. Two people were hooked up to a cable, pulled up into the air and released like a swinging pendulum.

"I've never actually ridden one before, but it's supposed to make you feel like Superman," John told her. He went up and purchased two tickets.

"Is there a weight limit?" he asked. The lady looked from John to Cameron.

"I don't think you'll have a problem," she said, smiling.

"You'd think," John muttered. He took the tickets and he and Cameron were ushered into the line where they were fitted with the harness suits. Then they were brought around to the back where they waited behind a pair of teenagers. One of them turned to look at Cameron.

"Hope you aren't afraid of heights," he said with a grin.

Cameron shook her head. "No."

The guy looked at his girlfriend. "This is her first time. She's nervous." The girl forced a smile.

"Have you been on this before?" John asked.

"About five times," the guy bragged. "The best part is when you're just hanging there, looking down, knowing that you're going to fall at any minute…" His girlfriend yelped.

"Next group, come on up," an employee called. The guy grinned at John.

"Good luck, buddy," he said.

Cameron watched as the two were raised up on a platform to be strapped into the cables. "I believe it was his intention to scare me," she said.

John cracked a smile. "Does anything scare you?"

"Yes," she replied evenly.

John's grin faded. "Like what?"

"I get scared when you are in danger," she replied. "I was scared when you reactivated me and I feared I would not be able to override my programming. I was scared when you went off alone to the military school."

"I wasn't alone," John protested. "I was with Derek."

Cameron simply stared at him before repeating, "I was scared when you went off alone to the military school…"

John smirked. That was the first time Cameron had ever actually _insulted _his uncle. "So you're mostly just scared that something will happen to me."

"Yes."

"You're not scared that something will happen to you?"

"A little," Cameron admitted. "I was scared when you had me trapped between the two trucks and you deactivated me. I was scared that you would not believe the truth of what I was saying."

"Truth?" John repeated, swallowing hard.

"Yes," Cameron replied. "When I said---."

"Next riders!" the employee called. John felt a flash of disappointment that Cameron had been cut off, though he had a pretty good idea of what she was about to say.

He stepped up onto the platform next to her and they put their feet on the bars.

"Alright," the attendant said. "I want you two to interlock your arms." Cameron obediently thrust her arm through his and John felt a little lightheaded at the closeness. The floor dropped, leaving them dangling horizontally.

"When you get to the top, pull the cord to drop," the attendant said. "Keep your arms locked until you make one pass."

"Here we go," John whispered. The attendant stepped down and John felt himself being pulled up into the air.

"The sun is starting to set," Cameron said, looking out across the sky. John smiled. _Just making conversation…_

He began to feel the familiar anxiety that usually came before the drop, but somehow he knew it was from more than the ride.

Their arms were still interlocked. Cameron yanked the cord and they dropped, swinging forward. John's breath caught, the wind whipping at his hair, and he felt the sensation of flying.

Beside him, Cameron was grinning as well, probably just because he told her to show more emotion…but still…

When they were pulled back onto the platform, their arms were still interlocked. Cameron had never released her hold on him…and neither had he wanted her to. They were unhooked and stripped off their suits.

While they were walking out the exit ramp, Cameron smiled at John. "That was fun."

John was a little surprised at the admission, but he matched her smile. "Yeah, I guess it was."

******

John leaned over the railing at the top of the mini Eiffel Tower that stood directly in the center of the park. The sun was setting and the lights were coming on. His mother had called and said they would still be an hour. She and Derek were finishing their reconnaissance and were going out to eat. He was almost certain Derek had been the one to suggest it. Probably getting tired of eating all those pancakes…

Cameron leaned on the railing beside him, arm brushed up against his. John looked over at her, seeing her smiling slightly. It took him by surprise.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yes," Cameron replied. "It was much more fun than foosball."

He raised an eyebrow, but decided to take that as a compliment. Cameron suddenly turned to him and said, "Thank you for bringing me to King's Island."

Before John could reply, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. John felt like his heart had stopped and he swallowed hard.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked.

"I don't know," Cameron replied, looking back over the railing. "Just seemed like something I should do."

She smiled at him again, and John felt a grin of his own slowly spread across his face.

*******

John was lying comfortably on the small motel bed, fingering the small picture of him and Cameron in Flight of Fear. As soon as they'd arrived back at the hotel, Cameron had resumed her silent vigil at the door. About half an hour after their return, the door creaked open and Sarah and Derek entered, carrying leftovers from some Chinese place.

Sarah set down the food and looked over at John. "How was your day?" she asked.

"I threw a guy into the trash can," Cameron said immediately.

Sarah appeared startled. "Why?"

"He was a threat," Cameron said simply.

Sarah seemed confused, but glanced at John. "John? I was actually talking to you. How was your day?"

_How was my day? _He couldn't begin to describe his day. He'd been assaulted, nearly thrown out of the park, embarrassed, irritated, excited…elated. He briefly touched his cheek where Cameron had kissed him, heart still fluttering with the sensation. He couldn't speak of any of this. This day was between him and Cameron only.

He looked back up at his mother, who was staring at him expectantly.

"Oh," he said, shrugging, eyes returning to the small photograph. "Nothing to report."

_finis_

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Now if only we could see a little Jameron in tonight's episode, I would be ecstatic. Happy Friday Night, everybody! _


End file.
